


Memory of my Imagination

by NariNyxx



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020), Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: Cetra (Compilation of FFVII), Crisis Core (Compilation of FFVII) Spoilers, Crisis Core Era (Compilation of FFVII), F/M, Hojo (Compilation of FFVII) Being An Asshole, It's All Hojo's (Compilation of FFVII) Fault, Original Character(s), Pre-Crisis Core (Compilation of FFVII), Sane Sephiroth (Compilation of FFVII), Shinra Company, Wutai War (Compilation of FFVII), Young Sephiroth (Compilation of FFVII)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:07:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24002575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NariNyxx/pseuds/NariNyxx
Summary: Dreams? What were they? A warped reality of the truth? Forced into being a public figure head for Shinra was no easy task during the war with Wutai. Having a target on her head didn’t help her stress at all.  Pre-CC leading through all events.
Relationships: Sephiroth (Compilation of FFVII) & Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, this idea suddenly sprung to mind and the words just fell onto the screen. It hadn't taken me long to write and whilst I'm still writing my Doctor Who and Harry Potter fanfictions, I wanted to just jot this down and see how things go.
> 
> In terms of titles, it will be of songs/piano pieces or orchestra that has inspired the chapter. I thought that would be a nice way to give you all a playlist of inspiration that I found whilst writing this.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy.

Chapter One

The Approaching night  
 _Philip Wesley_

Hidden deep in the entertainment district of sector eight in Midgar lay a park. A park magnificently beautiful in contrast of the concrete buildings that surrounded it. Wildflowers bloomed from every angle. It was considered lost to the district as it had been left forgotten and overgrown. It hadn't meant to be a park. The space had once been a large building but due to the financial difficulties, the building was demolished by the city of Midgar and it had become free-land, which no other company had tried to claim.

In the center of the land, lay a patch of yellow lilies. They had a sunlit hue to them which helped them to glisten against the blue sky. The image was serene and beautiful. Much like the girl in the center of it all.

"Steph!" A young girl no older than seven years lifted her head to the voice that called out to her. Her long silver hair cloaked her bent frame. She wore simple clothes. Black three quarter lengths and a plain grey t-shirt. It was simple and boyish, but her feminine face and mixture of blue and green in her cat slit eyes were unmistakably beautiful.

"Misaki" she acknowledged. The girl that had yelled ran towards her, beaming. Once Misaki was at arms length, Steph stood up. "You're late."

"I'm...sorry Steph." Misaki apologized whilst gasping for air to fill her lungs. Misaki looked starkly different in contrast to her friend. The young girl looked to be a year younger and the bangs of her lank butterscotch colored hair stuck to her face due to her sweat. She had been the more feminine of the two. Her once white dress was now caked in mud and grass stains, from her ankles towards her knees.

"What happened?" Steph asked, she placed a hand on Misaki's shoulder and cocked her head to the side. A frown had formed on her face at Misaki's strange behaviour. Never had she ran that speed before and by the worry on her face, something had happened.

"I had to sneak out. Dad wants us to leave." It was then that Steph noticed the faint wetness of her face. Misaki had been crying earlier.

"But you can't leave." It was true. They had been friends for a year and her father before had made it perfectly clear that they couldn't leave Midgar, no matter how much he had wanted to.

"He said we have to. It's dangerous here." Steph blinked.

"Dangerous?" She asked. Her voice giving out a hint of curiosity. "It's safe here."

Misaki shook her head.

"Dad said it isn't but I don't want to go!" Misaki confessed. She threw her face in her hands and let out a wail. Steph wrapped her arms around her and gave her a strong hug of reassurance.

"Don't go." She found herself begging the crying girl.

"I'm sorry! I'll try and come back. I don't know when but I don't want to leave you." Misaki wrapped her arms around her friend and rested the side of her face on Steph's. Taking in her scent of the flowers that she had been previously sitting around.

"Then don't." Misaki pulled away. More tears escaped from her eyes.

"I'm sorry." She apologized again. "I..."

An explosion from the distance interrupted their conversation and it had been in the direction that Misaki had arrived from.

"Daddy!" Misaki found herself screaming. She ran in the direction she came from, leaving a stunned and crushed Steph in her wake.

It hadn't taken Misaki long to arrive at the scene of the explosion. Her instincts had been right. Her apartment block was set alight and she could barely the ambulance sirens wail in the distance due to all the screams of fear and pain from the citizens of Midgar. SOLDIER men had arrived at the scene and were patrolling the area and Misaki on instinct hid in a nearby alley. Her shaking in fear intensified and she had to stifle the sobs that tried to climb their way out of her throat. Even with her young mind she knew that if her father had been inside, he was no longer alive.

There was a bang and a clatter a couple of feet away from where Misaki hid. She heard herself yelp as she ducked behind some wooden slats.

She looked into the direction of the noise to notice a boy a few years her senior cursing himself and trying to stop the clatter of the metal lid the garbage bin that had dropped onto the cobbled floor.

Misaki quickly rubbed her tears away with the palm of her hands as she watched him. Not knowing what she could do. Should she try and run? Should she stay out with the boy? The fear made her legs feel like lead and it gave her the answer she needed.

The boy looked in her direction. There was a glimmer of recognition in his eyes.

"Yo! Misaki?" She froze. Her breathing stopped.

"Yeah, yeah! You're Misaki! You gotta get out of here! Your dad's trying to find ya!" Misaki placed the palms of her hands on the floor and leaned forwards to take a good look at the boy.

She didn't recognize him. She had never met anyone with flaming red hair before. His hair was ruffled and on end and it was a stark contrast to the dulled, tatty navy jeans and the black shirt littered with various sized holes. He had a newly formed black eye which made his green eyes more prominent.

"You know my dad?" Misaki found herself asking him. The boy nodded as he ran over to her. She felt herself back up into the slats again. The boy realized her fear and he bend down and extended a hand. He smiled at her, proud that he had been the one to find her but also to give her some reassurance.

"Let's find your dad." Hesitantly, Misaki reached out and placed her hand in his. He took it as her acceptance and pulled her out of her hiding place. He pulled her further into the alley. "We better go this way before they catch us."

"They?" Misaki asked. Her legs trying to catch up with his pace.

"The SOLDIERs are trying to find him." The boy answered without turning to look at her. He pulled her down an alley on his right, stopping them from leading towards a main road.

"Why?" Misaki questioned as she felt a stitch forming on her side. She was exhausted from all the running she had done beforehand.

"I don't know." He answered her.

They continued to run through the alleys. Twisting and turning through all the bends and it felt like hours to them both. They managed to avoid SOLDIER though there had been a number of close calls. Yells could be heard in the distance and the screams of fear from the civilians could be heard.

They were closing in on a fork in the alley and the boy nudged her to the right. Misaki allowed him to pull her along, trusting that he knew the way to her father.

_Go left._

"We have to go left!" Misaki cried out instantly, her lungs were on fire from all their running. The boy stopped and looked down at her.

"That's the opposite way to the station." He announced. "If we can't find him, you have to go. That's what he told me."

"Trust me! He's that way! I know it!" Misaki pulled her hand out of his and charged left. She couldn't explain her instinct. Occasionally she would hear it through voices in her head that were not her own. Though, she knew that they were always right when they spoke to her. It gave her a sense of comfort whenever they spoke.

She heard the boy curse and follow after her. It hadn't taken him long to catch up.

An explosion erupted in the direction that the boy had tried to lead her down. The pair of them flinched and ducked down as flames and debris fell from the air.

"It's good we turned left." The boy said, his already pale features turning a shade whiter. Eyes widened in fear at the close call.

_Keep going_

"Come on! We have to go!" With newfound courage, Misaki grabbed hold of his hand and pulled him out of his trance. They took a few more sharp turns in the alley before they both noticed a cloaked figure in the distance.

"Daddy!" Misaki heard herself yell. She knew it was him. It had to be.

As though answering her prayers. The figure turned and she came face to face with her father. Her own luminescent green eyes stared into hers.

"Mii, you're safe!" She wrapped her arms around her father and let out a sob. Her fathers arms wrapped around her and she finally felt safe again. It didn't matter about the city being on fire, all that mattered was that she was with the most important person in the world.

"Thanks for finding her kid." Her father thanked the boy.

"No problem. Stay safe, man." The boy answered. There was a pause. She felt her fathers grip on her tighten slightly.

"The offer still stands. Come with us." Misaki turned her head to glance over at the boy that had saved her. He shook his head.

"I'm going to live with my friend."

"Then take this. Where we're going, we don't need it." He reached into his pocket inside the cloak and pulled out an envelope. "Use it to look after yourself. It's everything that we have."

Before the boy could answer, her father thrusted the envelope into his hand and stood, the remaining arm wrapped around his daughter as he shifted her onto his hip.

"Good luck. I'll keep you in my thoughts." The boy nodded in thanks and ran back in the direction that they'd came.

"Where did you go?" Misaki heard herself ask once the boy was out of sight.

"I went to the orphanage and your friend told me that you were heading home. We have to go now, Misaki." He answered as he broke into a run. It was time for them to leave.

"Daddy, where are we going?" After avoiding numerous crowds and SOLDIERs, they'd managed to get back onto the path to the station.

"We're going..." But Misaki failed to hear the end of his answer.

oOo

With a sharp burst of pain, Misaki opened her eyes and placed a hand on her temple. She had, had that dream again. Only this time it had been more vivid.

_"We will soon be arriving at Midgar: Sector Eight."_

With a sigh, Misaki took her book that was on the miniature table in front of her and placed it inside her backpack.

It threw her having those dreams. As far as she could recall, she had never set foot in Midgar before and had always been a resident of Junon with both her parents. However, over the years her mind had created a fantasy in her head that she had once been living in the city she had only visited on her television back at home.

She was young. Barely of age at sixteen. However her parents had assigned her to work alongside Shinra in its main headquarters. Her parents were well known in the company and they had requested if she could pose as a poster girl for the company. It wasn't something she had been interested in but her parents were thrilled at the prospect of her moving out and finding her own footing. They had never been maternal parents. The years of discipline had taught her that from a young age. A part of her had been glad that she could finally move out of her home. She wouldn't have to worry about getting into trouble any longer.

With a jolt, the train had stopped.

_"We have now arrived at Midgar: Sector eight, the entertainment district. This is the last stop. We thank you for traveling with us. Please take all of your belongings as you exit the train."_

With a huff, Misaki pulled her backpack onto her back and grabbed the small suitcase by her seat. From what she could recall without rereading the slip of paper, she had to make her acquaintance with the president of the company and announce her arrival. If she were to be a representative for the company, she would have to meet the highest authority and the company had deemed fit to make her introduce herself to the president first.

As she climbed out of the train carriage and onto the platform, she realized it hadn't just been her carriage that barely had people. She could count only a handful of people on the platform heading to the station exit. It was bizarre. For a Friday night, she had expected more people wanting to party.

There was a rumble in the distance and Misaki felt her heart stop along with her feet on the platform. The rumble eerily felt familiar to her. Was this the Wutai war that her parents had mentioned to her? They had told her that Wutai were angry about Shinra's attempt to put a reactor on their land but they hadn't mentioned they were attacking the city.

The pain returned to Misaki's temple and the took a long, deep breathe. She had no choice but to trudge along. Her parents had told her not to return home unless requested to by Shinra, therefore leaving her homeless otherwise.

Once the pain had come to pass, as quickly as it had arrived, Misaki walked through the station and stamped her ticket. The barriers opened and she pulled her suitcase along. Remaining stress free had not been one of her strengths. As far as she could recall, she had always been stressed in one way or another and knowing that she had walked onto a battlefield did not help matters.

As Misaki walked out of the station, she observed her surroundings to catch her bearings. It didn't look anything out of the ordinary bar the rumbles in the background. The high rise buildings surrounded the large fountain that was in front of her. It was beautiful. Against the copper cobbled floor, the white fountain stood out. She could imagine spending her time here during the summer with an ice cream.

"Quick! He's coming!" Misaki looked in the direction of the voice and noticed two soldiers in silver armor ran into the clearing at the opposite end of the fountain. The other travelers had left the station already and it had meant that Misaki was the only one left. They didn't look anything like the troops back at home in Junon. Misaki felt her hair stand on end and her throat become dry. They were from Wutai.

With all the courage she had, Misaki took a few steps towards the nearest path on her left. She recalled on the map included in her letter that it was one of the routes to take to arrive at their headquarters.

"Stop!" One of the Wutai soldiers yelled at her. She felt the blood drain from her face and she glanced at them in the corner of her eye.

"He can't know where we are. We're dead men!" One of them had yelled. Whether it was towards her or his comrade, she was not sure. Though, the other nodded and they both pulled out a pair of Sai.

Everything happened in a flash and Misaki hadn't had time to react. She had only been in this city for five minutes and she was going to be killed.

She slammed her eyes shut and waited.

There was no pain.

Surely she should be in pain right about now.

Perhaps she had a quick death.

Was she already dead?

She took a breathe.

She was most surely alive.

She opened her eyes and was met with fine silver strands in front of her. If she had leant forwards only a centimeter, she would've felt them on her face.

By the built, she realized that a man stood in front of her. He was built large and his height towered over her. Misaki felt a stab in her temple again. Her migraines returning.

She looked down and noticed that in his right hand was a green orb. Materia, her father called it. Being a Shinra executive meant he carried some on his person for protection.

Misaki leaned to her side to face the Wutai soldiers. They were frozen in time, though she could see the deep fear in their eyes even whilst being frozen in place.

"Stay back." A deep, monotone voice commanded her. She flinched slightly and leaned back. The last thing she wanted to do was anger the man that struck fear into these men.

As though sensing she had done what he had asked, the man in front of her lunged. It was only when he raised his left hand did she realize he held the longest katana she had ever seen in her life. It equaled his height at six feet and he handled the length with ease.

He slashed at the two soldiers in front of him with one swipe and the battle was over before it started. Both men dropped to the floor, their chests gashed. It was a miracle that they both died in one piece. The thought of it made Misaki's blood run cold.

The threat to the city had finished for the night. Knowing this, the man in front of her lowered his sword but didn't sheath it due to the close proximity with the woman behind him.

He turned to face her.

A blinding flash of pain erupted in Misaki's head and she let go of the suitcase which she didn't realize she still held. Tears formed in eyes at the pain she could not describe as she took in the appearance of the person in front of her.

In front of her stood someone Misaki had never expected to meet.

It was as though her warped dreams were real. Though the person in front of her was undoubtedly male. Not just by his built but by his outfit. He wore a long black coat with silver pauldrons on both shoulders. The top part of his coat was open to reveal his broad chest with black, leather suspenders crossed over. The shimmering silver hair that was now behind his form billowed in the wind and those close-to-turquoise cat slit eyes stared her down in mild confusion. This had not been the reaction he had been expecting.

"Steph...?" Misaki heard herself ask before her world went black.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Nocturne in a Minor  
 _Chad Lawson_

"Steph! Do you want to play a game?" A young Misaki asked. They were back in the free-land full of wildflowers. The pair of them had been sitting facing each other in a clearing. They were all alone whilst making flower crowns. Misaki was failing drastically whilst Steph had been able to understand how to weave the stems. She only had to thread a couple more flowers until she was finished.

"What kind of game?" She asked, her head tilted slightly in curiosity and her flower crown making skills put to one side.

"Hide and seek!" Misaki cried out enthusiastically. "We haven't played it in a long time!"

Steph chuckled and picked up her crown, she continued to weave in the stems until it was finished. She placed it on the top of Misaki's head. Her eyes sparkled in mirth.

"You hate it when I always win." Misaki's face went a faint shade of pink. She touched the crown on top of her head, amazed at Steph's handiwork.

"I'll win this time." She declared. Steph laughed softly.

"You always say that." Misaki pouted slightly before standing.

"Do you want to start hiding or shall I?" Steph shook her head.

"Do you remember last time? They weren't happy with us when we played that game." Misaki rolled her eyes before looking around aimlessly.

"There's no one here to tell us off this time." She bent down and pulled Steph's arm. "C'mon Steph! You know you want to."

"Alright, alright." Steph sighed but reluctantly smiled at her. "You win. I'll count first."

_Wake up_

oOo

With a groan, Misaki awoke. She felt as though her head was being ripped apart. The rocking motion hadn't helped. She opened her eyes to find her facing the floor from above. Something solid pressed into her stomach. She was on someone's shoulders as though she were a sack of potatoes.

"Finally, you're awake." The motion stopped and she was dropped onto her feet. Misaki staggered before regaining her balance. She looked up at the owner of the voice and realized that it was the same man as before who had saved her from the Wutai soldiers.

"What happened?" Misaki asked, she rubbed her temples, trying to recall the last seconds before passing out.

"You mistook me for someone else and then fainted." His voice was hard. "You thought I was a woman." It clearly had bruised his ego.

"I'm sorry." She bowed her head slightly. "I've been having some weird dreams recently and you look like someone from them." She heard a disgruntled noise from him and she looked at her surroundings. They were in an open space. It was sleek and clean. The floors were marbled black and the walls were a metallic grey. Marbled black pillars were holding the first floor up ahead and there were two staircases from either side of the room. In the center stood a reception desk underneath the electronic sign 'WELCOME TO SHINRA'. She saw various people scattered around in suits; but none of them gave the couple any eye contact. It was as though they didn't exist. The atmosphere felt familiar to her, as though she returned home. She presumed it was because she spent so much time in the Junon branch.

"We're in Shinra headquarters." Misaki looked over at the man that had saved her and noticed he held a folded piece of paper in his hand. He continued, noticing where her eyes were drawn. "You're here to meet the president so it says." He handed her the paper. It was her letter of employment. Out of instinct, Misaki shoved her hand into her jeans back pocket to find that it was missing. As though reading her mind, he spoke again in a tone as though he were bored.

"It was hanging out of your pocket and I noticed it once you collapsed. I couldn't very well leave you on the street." Misaki blinked slowly. He didn't give her room to reply before he continued whilst handing her back the letter.

"Now that you're awake, you can find your own way. We're in the foyer. Go up the stairs to the elevator. Once you hit the skyview hall, you'll need to change elevators and go to the sixty-ninth floor. You'll access his office by going up the stairs." Misaku blinked. Suddenly feeling rather overwhelmed.

"Wait, you're leaving?!" She heard herself ask. After nearly being attacked, the idea of losing someone strong in her presence didn't seem comforting. The silver haired man looked at her oddly.

"I don't know where I am! What if I get lost?!" The odd look instantly faded from the SOLDIER and he looked disinterested.

"That isn't any of my concern." Her hope deflated in his words. The chances of her being attacked in the Shinra headquarters were slim but she hadn't wanted to take her chances without him if she could've helped it. Frustratingly, she felt safer in the Junon headquarters. They would never have had an attack so open from Wutai warriors. It was well known that Rufus Shinra had amped the security tenfold and made sure to have a huge army scattered across the city. He had power and he liked to flaunt it.

"You can give me your name at least, since you already know mine from reading that letter." He gave her a stern look and contemplated before turning on the spot and made his way to depart.

"Really?!" Misaki yelled. "You're not even going to give me a name?" He stopped and turned his head to give her a sideways glance.

"I'm SOLDIER. Not a friend, Ms Muelbroek. Enjoy your stay in Midgar." Without giving her another look, he left the building from the main entrance from where they came.

Misaki huffed and looked around again, taking note of her surroundings before making her way towards the escalators. If this place was going to be her home, she needed to be able to remember where to find everything. She took note of the visitor cafeteria next to the small museum of older modeled Shinra cars. She'd have to visit there at some point.

She found her way to the elevators and followed the instructions she was given by the strange, silver haired stranger that had saved her.

oOo

" _Floor Sixty-Nine._ " Chimed the elevator.

Misaki jumped out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened and took a deep breath. After changing to the glass elevators from the Skyview hall, Misaki found herself unable to breathe. With each floor the elevator had risen, Misaki had felt her heart quicken. She had never been great with heights in the first place. It was why she had travelled to Midgar by train.

At the entrance stood two reception desks that matched the marbled black floor as though it was a part of it. There were two women wearing identical uniforms. Both women had lifted their heads from their computers on their desk at her arrival. The one on the left stood and raised a brow as Misaki walked over.

"Hello. Welcome to the Presidents office. May I ask what business you have here?" Her tone was low and her body language gave away that she was tense, perhaps waiting to call for security. Considering it was the president of Shinra and he was more important than the mayor of Midgar himself; Misaki was not surprised.

"Hello." Misaki greeted pleasantly. "I'm Miss Muelbroek and I was asked to meet the President as soon as I arrived." She handed the receptionist her letter for the woman to investigate.

The receptionist took a few seconds to read the letter and showed it to her colleague that had turned her head towards her in interest. They both looked at each other and had a silent, wordless conversation before the receptionist that had first spoken to Misaki turned her attention back to her.

"I'm sorry, Miss Muelbroek. The president is not currently in his office and is having a board meeting. Please take a seat and we will contact him to tell him of your arrival." With her hand, the receptionist indicated to the chairs behind Misaki.

Misaki thanked the receptionist and took a nearby seat. Her heart hammering in her chest, nerves getting the better of her. She took a deep breathe and exhaled. In the corner of her eye, she noticed them already on their phones.

She questioned why she was here again. Shinra was already the most powerful megacoperation in the whole of Gaia. They had influence over politics, society and infrastructure. Wherever you looked, the power company had an element of influence. They had no need for a poster girl in the media. They never had, had one before. Her father being the head executive in Junon was requested directly from the president himself to send her. He was the most senior outside of Midgar excluding the Vice President, Rufus Shinra. It meant that her father had been unable to refuse. Not that he would, mind. Her father's loyalty to Shinra held no bounds. As soon as he had the phone call, she was sent packing that evening.

Misaki hadn't wanted to leave her home in Junon. Due to her parents high ranking positions in Shinra, she wasn't allowed to delve into such a trivial thing as 'friendships' but she had, had a couple of acquaintances that she didn't want to leave behind. One being the Vice President of Shinra himself. As much as she hated to admit it, she would miss his sarcastic, witty remarks as she went to meet her father at the end of his work. It was something that had been expected of her to do. Regardless of whatever she was doing, she had to meet her father in his office at six on the dot. She didn't dare disobey him and whilst others would find that strange, it was a normal routine for her.

Rufus would occasionally come out of meetings from her father's office and as soon as he'd see her sitting in one of the chairs near the floor elevators, he'd make a comment. Whether that be on her attire, the book she was reading or her attempt to ignore him pass her. What she still found hard to believe, was that they were of the same age. She still remembered when he first arrived in Junon a year ago on his fifteenth birthday. He was still as cocky as the day he arrived.

"Excuse me, Ms Muelbroek?" The familiar voice of the receptionist drifted Misaki out of her thoughts. She stood from her seat and expectantly turned her attention back to the receptionist. She hadn't at all realized that the receptionist had left her seat by her desk and was standing by her side.

"The President has requested that you join him in the boardroom. It's a good opportunity to meet the people in the company that are in charge of various departments."

"Thank you. What way is the boardroom meeting?" Misaki asked politely.

"It's on the sixty-sixth floor. Please come with me." Misaki gave a short bow in thanks and followed the receptionist towards the elevator.

oOo

It was a short and silent trip to the floor they needed. A pin could've dropped and Misaki was sure she would've been able to hear it.

As soon as they arrived on the designated floor. The receptionist spoke to the guards that were placed in front of a large and glamorous mahogany solid wooden door. This must've been where they held the meetings. There was gold embroidered into the wood which gave it a more sophisticated feel as it glistened against the reddish wood. There was a reason why gold and seed worked together.

The receptionist politely bid her goodbye to Misaki and took her leave as one of the guards entered the meeting room to announce her presence. It felt as though it had been seconds before he returned and beckoned her inside.

Misaki took a deep breath. She inwardly remembered that she needed to inhale and exhale as she took her shakily steps inside the meeting room. It was as glamorous as she would've expected from President Shinra.

The walls where a deep and rich mahogany red, imbedded with gold. The same details as the door she entered in. Candles were placed on every other panel on each wall inside golden holsters. Their flames giving off another golden hue in contrast to the large chandelier placed in the center of the room. It was above the long table that could easily seat twenty people.

At the head of the table sat an older man whom was similar to her fathers age. He wore a dark suit that was pristine above a white shirt and dark emerald tie. His immaculate slicked back hair reminded her of Rufus back in Junon. It was the first time she was finally meeting his father. President Shinra. There were only three men in the room including the President. The other two sat on opposite sides in the chairs closest towards the head seat. Misaki pressured that they were also a part of the meeting prior to her arrival.

"Welcome to Midgar, Misaki. You're father notified me that you'd arrive today. I'm glad that you arrived in one piece considering the chaos that happened earlier." President Shinra stood from his chair as she walked over, his hand extended as she got closer.

"Yes, thankfully a SOLDIER was there to help me. No harm done, Mr Shinra." Misaki took his hand. His hand looked callous and rough for his age but as Misaki shook his hand she realized it was the exact opposite. His hands were incredibly smooth and soft. She presumed it was years of being a billionaire that helped.

"Our meeting has finished and already we have had a few board members leave. However, I'd like to introduce you to a few directors that have taken the time to stay behind to meet you." He indicated to the two men in the room. Misaki gave a short bow to the directors in front of her. She was told by her father that if she were to meet anyone in Shinra higher than him, she was to bow as a sign of respect. It had been his parting words to her when she left Junon.

The president waited until she lifted herself up before introducing them to her.

"On your left is Director Lazard. He is in charge of SOLDIER. I take it that you are aware of what SOLDIER does?" Misaku gave a curt nod and bowed again to Lazard.

"Pleasure to meet you." Humbled by her politeness, the younger coiffed blonde man gave her a nod. His upper lip tugged to show a faint smile. He wore a pinstriped blazer paired with a white shirt and plain purple tie. He looked to be almost a decade older than Misaki but unmistakably the youngest in the room barring her.

"I hope you had a good journey to Midgar. I understand that it takes a few good hours on the train from Junon." Misaki nodded and smiled at Lazard.

"Yes, but the journey was smooth. Thank you." He gave her a curt nod and she turned her attention to the darkest haired man in the room. She winced slightly at the pressure starting to build into her skull. A headache was brewing again.

The other director in the room was significantly older than Lazard. His long hair was slicked back into a ponytail and it was dark albeit greying by his roots. He wore a lab coat that looked a few years old judging by the slight stains and badly stitched up pockets. His circular glasses framed his face and shone a reflective light from the ceiling. There was a cold smile on his face that gave no hint of sanity in his eyes. The president's voice broke the silence between them.

"And this is the head of the science division, Professor Hojo." A sharp pain prickled Misaki's temple at the mention of his name.

"Pleasure to meet you, Misaki." Hojo greeted as he gave her a welcoming smile. His eyes were cold and had a look of hunger. It was as though he was calculating and observing her like she was his own experiment. It reminded of a predator looking at its prey.

A sharp pain stabbed Misaki in the temple and she her eyes sharply clenched shut. She bit back a gasp of pain as the migraine pain fluctuated.

" _Stop! Please stop!_ " A young echoed cry filled her mind. She couldn't see anything and her mind was blank however she still felt the underlying fear of those words. It struck her to the core. It was her voice that screamed. She knew her own voice undoubtedly well from her dreams with Steph.

" _Let's try this one more time._ " Misaku felt herself shudder at the words. The owner of the voice was similar to Hojo's in the room, although this sounded more maniac.

" _Daddy_!" The young voice screamed.

Misaki could feel her conscious slipping away from her as the pain increased in her temple. It felt as though her head wanted to split open and she bit down on the inside of her mouth. Hard.

_Open your eyes_

Misaki's eyes flew open. She had never heard the voices outside her dreams before. The familiar presence of the voices started to subside as quickly as it arrived. It felt as though a group of people spoke to her at once and she couldn't distinguish any of the owners. She started to question, how? How was she able to hear them? She gathered it was just simply her subconscious telling her what to do whilst she slept but disregarding that she was falling unconscious, she was awake right now.

"Miss Muelbroek?" The familiar voice of the President broke her out of her revere. All eyes were focused on her within the room and she just wanted to curl up in a hole and die of embarrassment. As she went to speak, Misaki noticed the familiar metallic taste in her mouth and the pain from the inside of her cheek. She had bit too hard inside her mouth. Lazard had noticed she needed to spit and gave her a box of tissues. She silently thanked him and spat the blood in the tissue as inconspicuously as she could. Everyone in the boardroom paid no heed to her and drifted their attention elsewhere whilst she sorted herself out.

Once she finished, Hojo was the first to allow his attention to drift back to her. He was interested in her and that made Misaki's skin prickle, her body warning her of danger.

"Entertain this old man, what are your likes and dislikes, Misaki?" Hojo asked as he leaned forward. His chin resting on the back of his clasped hands as they rested on the desk.

"I'm sorry?" Misaki asked, thrown by his question.

"We would all love to get to know you. Indulge us." He replied. His voice keeping the sickly sweet tone which made a shiver creep down her spine.

"Well..." Misaki contemplated her answer. "I like reading books. I write a little too but it's not any good." She felt her face grow warm, she rarely mentioned that she liked to write. She would hardly go so far as to call herself a writer as she only dabbled and never published her work.

"And my dislike is..." She paused as she noticed Hojo's interest intensified.

"Go on." He urged.

"Water. I have a fear of drowning." Misaki answered. Her voice trembling slightly at the thought of it. She couldn't explain why she felt frightened of losing her breath to water. Since being a child, she had dreams of drowning at least once a week. It always happened the same way. She was pushed into the water by someone. It was always someone she knew in her dreams. As soon as her body started to give due to lack of oxygen, she would wake up in a cold sweat.

"I can use water in my daily life. I can walk in the rain and have a bath but anything deeper than a bath and I can't cope with it." Misaki continued. "It's something I've never quite been able to explain".

"Thank you Hojo." The president sharply ended their conversation. It was lingering too much for his liking. "Miss Muelbroek, you understand as to why we hired you?" Misaki shook her head at the President's question.

"I don't, Sir." She answered honestly. The president massaged the bridge of his nose.

"Shinra has undoubtedly got power and influence throughout the whole of Gaia but we are now under war with Wutai. What we need, is someone to work frontline in the media to sway people into joining the army and side with Shinra. Our recruitment is substantially male so hiring a young woman would be beneficial. And since you're Herschel's daughter, who is one of my closest employees. It was only natural for me to ask for you."

"What will I do?" Misaki found herself asking. "The contract didn't give me those details."

"Anything we ask of you." He answered as ambiguous as the words on her contract. As she opened her mouth to ask further, the President purposely turned his attention over to Lazard.

"Lazard, do you have anyone to spare in 3rd class SOLDIER to act as her escort?"

"Not particularly. We have newly recruited SOLDIER but I want to focus on getting them trained first and foremost." Hojo slammed his hand on the table and turned his attention to the president. Anger blazed in his eyes.

"Hadn't we already decided this? Sephiroth would take this on."

"Situations have changed with Wutai, Hojo. I've changed my mind." The President answered. He disregarded Hojo's anger as though it were nothing. Lazard gave Hojo a sideways glance before he continued.

"Would it not be wise to ask someone from a more _covert_ team?" The president frowned. He didn't like the board members trying to overt his choices.

"They have their hands full with someone _else_." He answered as he spat out the last word, glancing at Hojo before turning to the Director for SOLDIER. "We will use one of the new members of SOLDIER, Lazard."

"What about their training? Both the boys have shown great potential to give Sephiroth a run for his money but unless we give them the opportunity to do so..." The president interrupted Lazard.

"Give one of them the order, Lazard." The president demanded. His voice hardened.

There was a pause, and a reluctant nod from the board member. He placed the palms of his hands on the table and stood. Lazard gave the president one final look before uttering a small "excuse me", before leaving the room. The door shut and Hojo turned his attention back to the president.

"President Shinra, whilst I don't agree with this decision. I will support it. I am a patient man, sir but my patience can only withstand so much."

The president gave Hojo a cool look in response. He wasn't threatened or irritated by Hojo's remark. He had heard it many times before. There was a moment of silence before the attention of the room was drifted back towards Misaki, the events prior had drifted from their minds. The president spoke.

"I would ask you not to leave the premises for tonight, Ms Muelbroek. The SOLDIER that will be assigned to you shall escort you around Midgar when necessary starting from tomorrow. I will also have someone find you in your apartment in the morning so that you can start work. I hope you find your stay in Midgar to your liking." He gave her a brief obligatory smile, there was no warmth to his words. "For now, please wait outside and someone will escort you to your new home." There was a sense of finality to his words and Misaki knew that they were done here. She gave the group a brief bow before leaving the room. She heard Hojo speak but his words were incomprehensible as she closed the door behind her.

A sigh left her lips before she looked around. She had no idea what had just happened in that room but already she felt as though she was an unwanted burden in this building. She couldn't understand why they would've requested for her to work in Midgar if they didn't want her here in the first place.

Misaki found a nearby seat and sat down. She sat facing the elevator doors. Thinking back, she felt slightly unnerved by the anger from Hojo in the boardroom. He was very particular about this 'Sephiroth' looking after her and from her understanding, he was a valuable asset to the company. _Why_ Hojo wanted _him_ to look after her, she didn't know. She had met recruits back in Junon and she hadn't particularly liked them very much.

"Ms Muelbroek?" A familiar voice caught Misaki's attention and she turned go give the owner of the voice her full attention. It was the same woman that had helped her a moment before on the President's floor.

"Please follow me." The receptionist requested. Misaki stood from her seat and wordlessly followed her to the elevators. The receptionist continued to speak to her. "I've been assigned to help you whenever I can, Ms Muelbroek. If there is anything you need, please come to me. If you can't find me, please ask for me."

"And your name is...?"

"Gina Bennell." She answered robotically as she pressed the elevator button to go down. "However, it's highly unlikely that I will be elsewhere than the President's reception desk." Misaki thanked Gina kindly as they entered the elevator. Gina gave her a passing look before pressing the lowest floor accessible on the elevator, fifty nine.

"The floor to your apartment is on fifty seven. Don't forget it otherwise you'll spend a long time going on each floor." She warned.

"It's not too difficult, right? It's second to last on the first set of elevators." There was a pause and Misaki worried that she had said the wrong thing. By the look on Gina's face, she hadn't taken too kindly to Misaki's attempt to simplify her floor.

"Well, yes." Gina confirmed, though the tone was offhanded. They exited the glass elevators and walked across the hall to the second set in silence. It was stifling and something that Misaki couldn't bare to go through.

"How long have you worked here for, Ms Bennell?" She found herself asking the curt receptionist. Gina hadn't looked much older than herself.

"One year with the President and two years downstairs in Human Resources. I'm the fastest to have been promoted this substantially in the company." She announced with pride in her voice. A smile had finally appeared on her face and the ice between them had been broken.

"Wow, that's amazing." Misaki answered in slight awe. "Do you enjoy it here?" She found herself asking.

"Of course." Gina answered as though it were painfully obvious. "Working for the President has it's benefits. The salary is good for what it is and I get to travel with the president, should he need to visit another branch. It's hard work, mind." Misaki nodded in response and Gina glanced over at her again before looking back at the elevator doors.

"I'm sure you'll enjoy being here. You'll get to meet a lot of men." Misaki blinked and looked back at Gina.

"I'm sorry?" Gina ignored her. The doors opened and they both walked out of the elevator. From the elevator, there was a long pathway to the other end of the building. This was clearly a makeshift of apartment blocks that could've easily been offices in the past. The carpet was a rich blood red and the walls were wooden plated with rich dark oak. Wall lights were dimly lit along the hall. Everything was immaculate as though it had only just been decorated. It felt serene and hardly used.

Gina ignored Misaki's stare and beckoned her down the hall. They stopped at the second to last door on the right.

"This is your apartment." Gina announced. She entered a code in the machine on the wall next to the door. The machine bleeped green and the door unlocked. Gina opened the door and Misaki was awestruck at how spacious the apartment looked from the inside. Gina gave her a sideways look before she spoke again. "Shinra must think you're going to be hot stuff if they've put you here." Misaki noticed the slight tone of bitterness in her voice.

"I'm sorry?" Gina averted her eyes, not wanting to meet Misaki in the eyes.

"It's not everyday someone gets an apartment on this floor. It's designated for the 1st class SOLDIER as they're the backbone of this company along with the directors. We only have one currently and..." Gina glanced over to the door closest to her on the left in longing. "He's your neighbor." Misaki heard Gina's tone of voice change lighter and she felt herself frown, not understanding Gina's behavior.

"What's so great about living next to someone that is part of the army?" Gina was horrified at her question, as though she took personal offense.

"You'll understand if you ever meet him." Mari glanced back at the door in longing, as though she could just picture the man in front of her. "I would let that man split me in half."

"O-Kay!" Misaki announced with her voice unnaturally higher, feeling extremely uncomfortable with Gina's thirst over a man. "I'm going to go to bed now. Thank you for bringing me here, Gina."


End file.
